Hind Horn- Joseph J. MacSweeney; 1919
Hind Horn
by Joseph J. MacSweeney
The Modern Language Review, Vol. 14, No. 2 (Apr., 1919), pp. 210-211
'HIND HORN.'
The various extant English versions of the story of Horn, exclusive of the versions of the ballad of 'Hind Horn,' are referred to at some length in Professor J. E. Wells' recent work, A Manual of the Writings in Middle English, 1050-1400. The ballad of 'Hind Horn,' of which at least nine versions exist, has influenced the ballads of 'Young Beichan,'' Robin Hood rescuing three Squires,' ' Lady Diamond' and perhaps some others. The relation of the different versions of the story of Horn is difficult to discover a nd not at all clear. The ballad, which gives but the merest outline of the story, is mainly concerned with the 'exile and return' motive and the final recognition of Horn by the ring. This ring incident Ward considered as not older than the Crusades[1]. The story of Horn itself is almost certainly older than the Crusades, and its Danish origin, and the knowledge of it among the Norse in England, appear probable[2] A version of the story of Horn, connecting the hero with the Crusades, and incorporating the ring incident, has not, so far as I know, been identified or remarked upon. Among the poems of the late Duke of Argyl, there is one called 'Colhorn.'[3]
It is given in a series of poems which is prefaced by the remark- 'Verses chiefly from Highland stories.' As Colin is the name of the hero of the poem, I would explain the name of the poem itself as being derived from Colin Horn. This latter name would, I suggest, quite easily decay phonetically from Colin Horn to Col Horn, or as it is written 'Colhorn.' The story, which is clearly t hat of Horn localised, is briefly a s follows:
Colin, a native of Glenorchy, before joining the Crusades, leaves half of his ring with his lady and takes with him half of hers. Later a rumour is circulated that he is dead, and when the seven years, during which his lady had promised to remain faithful, are 'nearly sped,' she consents to be betrothed to another. She will not marry, however, until there is built for her 'a castle gay,' and it so happens that when this castle is nearing completion Colin returns and in beggar's dress demands drink at the lady's own hands at the gate. She complies with the request, and, having given him to drink from a cup, finds that he has dropped into it the half ring which once was hers. Straightway she recognises who it is that stands before her in beggar's dress, and the end is that Colin 'rules again his own abode.'
In 'Hind Horn' the hero begs in the name of St Peter and St Paul:
He sought for St Peter, he askd for St Paul,
And he sought for the sake of his Hynde Horn all[4].
It may be of interest to remark that this begging formula occurs in a Souling song, the melody and words of which are, I understand, attributed to Cheshire [5]:
A soul! a soul! a soul-cake !
Please good Missis, a soul-cake!
An apple, a pear, a plum, or a cherry,
Any good thing to make us all merry,
One for Peter, two for Paul,
Three for Him who made us all. [6]
JOSEPH J. MAcSWEENEY. BAILEY, HOWTH, Co. )DUBLIN.
Footnotes:
1 Ward, Catalogue of Romances, I , p. 448.
2 Wells, A Manual of the Writings in Mid. Eng. 1050-1400, and Schofield, History of Eng. Lit., Conquest to Chaucer, p. 262.
3 The Right Hon. the Marquis of Lorne, Memories of Canada and Scotland, pp. 68-74.
4 Child, Eng. and Scot. Pop. Ballads, ' Hind Horn,' version G, stanza 23.
5. Old English County Songs, collected by Lucy Broadwood and Fuller Maitland.
6. I wish to thank Mr Percy Whitehead of Dublin for kindly placing at my disposal his knowledge concerning this Souling song.